Rapidly Growing Mycobacterial Infections of the Skin and Soft Tissues Caused by M. fortuitum and M. chelonae

Abstract

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) have emerged as pathogens of clinical importance in human health as etiological agents of opportunist infections. Although NTM are known to cause systemic infections in immunocompromised subjects primarily in HIV patients, yet the growing number of immunosuppressed patients with new therapies and even more recently in non-immunocompromised subjects often localized infections of the lungs or skin and soft tissues (SS resistance to first-line anti-tuberculous drugs is common so therapy should be based on in vitro susceptibility testing. More clinical studies due to a lack of standard guidelines for the treatment of RGM infections are needed.